Line producing device for typewriters



Feb. 13, 1951 M; G. LEMOS LINE PRODUCING DEVICE FORTYPEWRITERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1948 INVENTOR.

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.H. N M T 7 A Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES LINE PRODUCING DEVICE FOR' TYPEWRITERS 5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved device for use on typewriters, to aid the operator in quickly producing a line of marks or dots, without continuously operating one of the type bars.

Thus the present invention comprises a bar which is pivotally supported on the carriage and provided with means for manually operating the same, so that it can be shifted to service position, whereby the inclined teeth of the rock bar or rack will be engaged by an element disposed iin the path of the stroke of one of the type bars, when this type bar is manually shifted against the platen; the sliding of the carriage, when pressure is applied on the release element, will then cause the actuated type bar to be vibrated by the action of the sloping teeth of the rack bar, and a series of dots or marks will be impressed on the work paper or sheet, without requiring repeated hammer strokes of the active type bar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a typewriter with a ratchet rock bar as above described, mounted to swing from inactive to service position on the sliding carriage, a pivoted lever disposed on the carriage and placed so that it can be manually operated at the same time the carriage release lever is actuated, and a tooth pivoted to engage the teeth of the ratchet rock bar when the same is in service position, when a selected type bar is manually pressed against this pivoted tooth element, and at the same time the ribbon is caused to vibrate.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention comprises certain new and useful constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View, showing the teeth of the ratchet rock bar.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view, enlarged, showing the ratchet rock bar in service position, and the pivoted tooth element engaged therewith, relative parts being shown in section.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 55 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a similar View, taken on line 6-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is another fragmentary rear View,

taken on line 'l"! of Figure 5 showing the left pivotal support for the ratchet rock bar.

. Figure 8 is a perspective view, showing the crank throw of the ratchet bar, and the operating lever and link: means therefor.

' Figure 9 isa perspective view of the pivoted tooth element, indicating the relation of the type bar which presses the tooth to engage the teeth of the rack bar at the time it is swung to service position.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the practical application of the invention to a portable type of visible writing typewriter, ill designates the main frameof the typewriter, I! the sliding carriage, E2 the usual group of'key bars and carriage controlling or shifting keys, !3 and M the ribbon spools, and iii the movable ribbon, which works across the usual vibrating ribbon guide ll, which vertically slides on the centrally located type guide 56; The carriage is manually released for quick shifting in the usual manner, by means of the release lever l8, which works at the right end of the platen l 8 of the carriage. These parts are old and well known.

On the platen scale, I mount a ratchet bar 2% at the left on a bracket 2! and at the right on a bracket 22. This ratchet bar is provided with a series of inclined teeth 23. To the right of the bracket 22 the bar 20 is also provided with a crank throw 26', and the end of this crank throw is pivotally engaged by the link 25, which is pivotally connected to the T-shaped operating lever 25, which is pivoted at 2'! on the carriage l I. A spring 28 is provided for holding the teeth 23 of the ratchet rock bar in a normal upward position toward the platen l9.

Attached to the frame ll by a screw is a bracket 29, having a right hand arm 38 on which the floating arm 3! is hinged at 32. The left end of this floating arm is equipped with a lateral tooth 33, which is designed to engage the teeth of the ratchet rock bar, when pressure is applied to the forward side of the arm 3!. Normally the ratchet bar is in an inoperative position and will not be engaged by the tooth 33, but when the type bar 34 is manually shifted to printing position, the shank of this printing bar will engage a pin Ella at the left end of the floating arm 3!, and will press the tooth 33 into the path of the inclined teeth 23.

With the type bar 34 engaged with the left end of the floating bar or arm 34, the operatorshould now simultaneously operate the release lever l8 and the T-shaped lever 26. This combined operation will permit the free sliding movement of the carriage, and at-the same time the teeth 23 of the ratchet rock bar will engage the tooth 33 of the floating arm.

The arm 32! is provided at 30a with a flat spring to normally urge the floating arm 3| outwardly, and said arm 30 is provided with a limit lug 30b to prevent overrun or displacement of the arm 3|.

In order to regulate the contact between the shank of the type bar and the floating arm 3|, this arm is provided with an adjustable screw pin 3la, which is engaged by the type bar 34.

When the carriage is manually shifted, with its release lever operated at the same time the ratchet rock bar is manually held in horizontal forwardly extended service position, and the type bar 34 is pressed to printing position and held there, the type bar will be alternately vibrated by the mechanical displacement of the sloping teeth acting on the single tooth 33.

The vibrating of the type bar 34 while manual pressure is maintained upon it with one hand, and the carriage is shifted with the other and the ratchet rock bar is held in horizontally extended service position, will also cause the arm 35 to be vibrated, and this will also vibrate the ribbon guide H.

The aforementioned vibration is caused by the engagement of a stud ll'a provided on the ribbon guide i'l, so positioned as to be engaged by the teeth 23 of the ratchet bar 29.

The type face of the bar 34 will be caused to rapidly print marks through the movable ribbon against the work sheet disposed on the platen. The ratchet teeth 23 may be sized and spaced apart from each other to equal the normal stepby-step spacing of the typewriter carriage longitudinal shift. But any other spacing system may be used.

The invention may be applied to commercial or high frame typewriters, to low frame or portable typewriters, of any make, with moderate adjustments and changes, and without obstructing the normal mechanical functions of the machine.

The invention provides a simple means for quickly making along or short line of dots, without repeatedly operating a type bar by a full hammer stroke.

Various changes in the details of construction, their combination and arrangement, may be made, without departing from the scope of the invention, defined in the following specified claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

i. A typewriter having a movable carriage and a group of printing bars independently movable to printing position against the platen of the carriage, the typewriter having a movable ribbon disposed across the printing position of all the type printing bars, a ratchet bar mounted to rock en the carriage and provided with a series of inclined teeth, means for rocking the ratchet bar to sh t the teeth thereof to a forward horizontal position, an arm positioned to be engaged by an actuated printing bar and having a tooth engageable with the teeth of the ratchet bar, and means for holding the ratchet rock bar in a normal inoperative position.

2. A typewriter having a main frame provided with a group of printing type bars, a carriage mounted to slide across said main frame and provided with a work platen, means for manually releasing the carriage for quick sliding, a ratchet bar mounted to rock horizontally on the carriage and provided with inclined teeth movable when the bar is rocked to a forwardly facing horizontal position, manually operated means disposed on the carriage adjacent to the carriage release means for rocking the ratchet bar, and a toothed element disposed in the path of the sliding move-' ment of the ratchet bar to be vibrated thereby when the same is manually shifted and adapted to be engaged by the shank of a printing bar.

3. A typewriter having a main frame provided with a group of independently movable manually operated type bars, a ribbon mechanism carried by the frame and including a printing ribbon movable thereon, a carriage mounted to slide across the frame and provided with a step-bystep control therefor, a manually operative release lever for permitting the carriage to slide without interference from such step-by-step control, a ratchet bar mounted horizontally on said carriage below the printing position, said carriage including a work sheet holding platen against which portions of the printing ribbon may be pressed by any type bar, the ratchet bar I having a series of inclined teeth and a crank throw at one end thereof, a link engaged with the crank throw, a T-shaped lever pivoted on the carriage to operate said link, a bracket mounted on the frame below the printing position, a horizontal arm hinged to the bracket and adapted to be engaged by an actuated type bar, said arm being provided with a lateral tooth adapted to successively engage the teeth of the ratchet bar, and means for holding the arm outwardly of the ratchet bar.

4. A typewriter as set forth in claim 3, wherein the horizontal arm is vibrated when its tooth is engaged by the teeth of the ratchet bar and means is provided for vibrating the ribbon when said arm is vibrated.

5. A typewriter as set forth in claim 3, wherein the horizontal arm is provided with an adjustable contact pin engageable by t e actuated type bar.

MANUEL G. LEMO-S.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 904,857 Ferguson Nov. 24, 1908 1,118,065 1 Seib Nov. 24, 1914 

